HICKORY, NC — For the twenty-fourth time, the Reidsville Rams have been crowned state champions.
Lenoir-Rhyne’s Moretz Stadium, which seats 7,000 fans, was packed to capacity with confident and excited Brevard and Reidsville fans. The one seeds on the East and West sides of the 4A bracket were set to clash in what felt as if it could be a thriller. After the first two drives, that thought was only reinforced. Two plays in, Dionte Neal found himself very lonely on the ten yard line, all by himself to catch the pass and walk backwards into the end zone. Brevard soon responded with a touchdown of their own with 9:02 to go in the first.
While Reidsville had missed their extra point, Brevard sent theirs through the uprights, giving them a 7-6 advantage. On a 3rd-and-2 from Reidsville’s on 43, they put Neal in shotgun, and he took it all the way to the house. Neal and Kendre Harrison then connected on a 2-point conversion for a 14-7 lead. Later in the first after a turnover on downs by Brevard, DeMarion Whitted made an exceptional run to the end zone, outrunning tacklers and stumbling in for six. Kendre scored another jump shot to put Reidsville up, 22-7.
The second quarter began with Neal ending one of the greatest fifteen-minute stretches in championship history. He scored a 52-yard touchdown on a screen play less than a minute into the second to get the Rams a 28-7 lead. Then, on Brevard’s next drive, a minute and five seconds after his third 50+ yard touchdown, Neal recovered a fumble! And though there were thirty-three minutes of game time left, when Kendre Harrison scored a 70-yard touchdown on the very next play, it was the final nail in the coffin. What seemed at the start to be a nail biter of a game was now a 43-7 halftime following a 35-yard score from Harrison.
By the time the second half rolled around, it felt more like a celebration than a football game, as the Rams let their foot off the gas and cruised to a 50-20 victory.
The Rams spoil an undefeated season bid by Brevard, a team that was seeking their third NCHSAA title and first since 1982. In 1963, these two teams faced for the championship gold, but played to a 0-0 draw. The teams elected to split the title, but Brevard won a coin toss for who received the championship trophy. But this title for the Rams is undisputed, and will be placed right alongside the other twenty-three trophies in the case (if there is room).
The Rams only had thirty plays from scrimmage. Tyson Broadway, who transferred mid-year, went 10/11 with 283 yards and 4 pass touchdowns. He received the Offensive MVP for the East side. Dionte Neal had 2 carries for 65 rush yards and a touchdown, while catching 7 passes for 158 yards and 2 more touchdowns. Kendre Harrison had 3 receptions for 105 yards and also punched in two touchdowns. And Whitted added the vital touchdown to put the Rams two touchdowns ahead for the first time all game.
Defensively, Kendre Harrison made six tackles, two for loss, while breaking up two passes and splitting a sack with Kadence Pruitt. He received 4A East Defensive MVP honors. Josiah Samalou also had a sack, and Richard Brathwaite made an interception off a tipped ball from Kendre. The other interception made for a very amusing moment. In the third quarter, with Reidsville up by thirty, Dionte Neal made an athletic interception in the end zone and began to return it. He was close to the out of bounds line in the end zone, and the referee blew his whistle and ruled that he had stepped out. As the jumbotron showed a replay of Neal in which he was undoubtedly in bounds, the fans jeered. The camera then panned to Neal, who was smiling and pointing to his ring finger, as the Rams had already secured what mattered.
With one of the most dominant performances in NCHSAA Championship history, Neal received the 4A MVP for the state title. One may say that he was only truly dominant for one half, and one may say that he was so dominant that he barely had to do anything in the second half.
Neal and Harrison now have two rings each in both football and basketball, as Harrison will graduate early and head to Oregon, where he is committed to play basketball and football, whereas Neal will try to continue the longest basketball win streak in the country (60) at Reidsville before moving on to play basketball at UNC-Greensboro.
This win washes the bad taste out of Reidsville’s mouths after a stunning loss in the Round of 32 to East Rutherford last year. With the 2024 number one seed knocked off their perch, they had to overcome numerous obstacles this year as well. With a 1-2 start to the season due to their exceptionally difficult schedule, the Rams had a three-game losing record for the first time in decades. They also underwent a quarterback change in the middle of the year. Despite having to deal with the disappointment of a devastating exit last year, putting themselves in an early season hole, and changing quarterbacks midway through the year, they not only won the state championship but also demolished their title game opponents.
The Rams have now played in eight of the last ten championships and won six of them, further establishing themselves as the premier football program in North Carolina.
In three years with the Rams, head coach Erik Teague improves to 39-4 overall with two state title victories.
The always-hungry Rams will soon look forward to basketball season and even next football season, but for now, the Rams will celebrate yet another title ring with their fans back home in the Football Capital of North Carolina.